macaroni21

One bar which was a staple pre-pandemic doesn't seem to be much mentioned lately -- Screw Boys. Has anyone ventured in lately? Is it even open?

I came across this yesterday as I doing trawling through the web for information an have just found it again. It's from Singapore's Changi airport website, and it says "Covid-19 test requirement - A pre-departure test is not required for transit travellers for all flights arriving in Singapore, including VTL flights." A quick check on Expedia shows about 2 direct flights a day between Singapore and Phnom Penh.

Thanks, spoon. However, the linked article only says quarantine abolished. It does not say whether pre-departure and/or post-arrival tests are still required.

Thailand may be under increasing pressure to open up more quickly, considering the way its neighbours are opening up. Although Thailand will lift the requirement for pre-departure PCR tests on 1 April, the Thai Pass, insurance requirements and on-arrival tests are still in place. As seen in the above quote, Thailand's Tourism minister is only asking the cabinet for a downgrade from PCR test to antigen test after arrival on 1 May. No mention about abolishing the Thai Pass pre-application before entry. Reader posted that Malaysia will be liberalising its requirements on 1 April. With that, it will be ahead of Thailand. From 1 April, Malaysia will not require travellers to seek entry permission before travelling, and will only require an antigen test after arrival. However, a pre-departure test is still required. Today Singapore announced a liberalisation too. For fully vaccinated travellers, not only will Singapore abolish the requirement to seek permission before entry, it will abolish the post-arrival test from 1 April. Even the post-arrival test has, for some tme now, been just a rapid antigen test, not a PCR test. It will be gone from 1 April. Singapore still has a pre-departure requirement for an antigen test, but is now suggesting that at the next review in about 2 - 3 week's time, this may be abolished too - which will mean a full restoration of open borders as they were pre-Covid (for vaccinated travellers). The Philippines requires vaccinated travellers to register through Bureau of Quarantine’s OneHealthPass (OHP), an online platform, three days before departure -- no mention about waiting for approval, so I guess it's only registration, not application, unlike the Thai Pass -- and take a PCR or antigen test before flying. No post-arrival test, no quarantine. Vietnam requires a pre-departure PCR or antigen test and submission of an online health declaration. No post-arrival test. No quarantine. Cambodia, to the best of my knoweldge, is ahead of its neighbours. Fully vaccinated travellers do not have to take pre-departure or post-arrival tests when entering Cambodia. Disclaimer: The above information is what I read today in a quick bit of research into entry requirements. I don't swear that my information is fully accurate or up to date, so please don't rely on what I'm reporting here without doing your own checks. Indonesia is the one country where I am getting conflicting information, so I have left it out from this survey. Some information is about Bali only, others are about the whole country... confusing!

As so often is the case with such announcements that are intended to boost tourism, the minister is silent as to what will happen if the test result comes back positive.

Here's what may be an unusual viewpoint: At its peak of its "glory days", I could never find any guy from Tawan to off. They were way too muscly for my taste. Between competitions or in more recent (pre-Covid) years such as 2015 - 2016, I thought the selection was better. There would be some guys who were biggish but not Mr Rippled Hulk. Compared to other bars, they were also (generally speaking) more pleasant personality-wise. Unfortunately, while the period of faded glory of the mid-decade was good by my taste, it was beginning to "fade" a bit too much in the last 2 years or so pre-Covid. Several of the regular guys there were beginning to run to fat - it's a real risk when one has become used to eating big meals but do not hit the gym as much as before. Also, my recollection is that the number of working guys were dwindling.

From reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/thousands-russians-stuck-thailand-sanctions-kick-2022-03-08/ Thousands of Russians stuck in Thailand as sanctions kick in BANGKOK, March 8 (Reuters) - Thousands of tourists from Russia are currently stranded in Thailand, officials said on Tuesday, as unprecedented Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine put a squeeze on Russians struggling to find flights and finances. Flight cancellations, a rouble currency in free-fall and payment problems from Russian banks being cut off from the global SWIFT system has left more than 7,000 Russians in limbo in locations like Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Krabi, Thailand's tourism authority chief said. "We have to be good hosts and take care of everybody," Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters. "There are still Russian tourists on their way here," he added. Russia's embassy in Bangkok did not immediately respond to request for comment on its citizens. In 2019, Thailand received 1.4 million Russian visitors. In January, it counted about 23,000 Russians, representing about a fifth of the total arrivals. About half of those stranded were on the island of Phuket. "We've asked hotels to reduce prices and extend their stays," Phuket's tourism association president Bhummikitti Ruktaengam said. Some visitors, when able, had used China's UnionPay after cards issued by Russian banks using U.S. payment firms Visa (V.N) and Mastercard stopped working, he said. Visa and Mastercard announced on Saturday they were suspending operations in Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has called its actions there a "special operation". Though Thailand was among 141 countries that backed a United Nations resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops, it has not imposed any sanctions on Moscow. Bhummikitti said hundreds of people from Ukraine were also stranded, mainly due to airport closures there. He said efforts were being made to get stranded Russians onto flights to Moscow on Middle Eastern airlines and to arrange repatriation flights. A proposal was being considered to allow the use of cryptocurrency for payments at hotels, flights and other businesses in Phuket, he said.

From the New York Times yesterday, Following this, Aeroflot said it would suspend all international flights starting from 8 March 2022. Other Russian airlines are expected to follow suit. The problem seems to be that many (most?) planes are leased and when the Russian companies are unable to pay leasing fees, the leasing companies may seize them as soon as they land in a foriegn country. In any case, with Boeing and Airbus not supplying spare parts, it is doubtful if the planes could have been kept flying safely for long. This shouldn't stop Russian tourists from taking other airlines such as Emirates or Air China, though, but then there are still the questions of the exchange rate and payments systems. MasterCard and Visa has suspended use of Russian-bank-issued cards outside of Russia. But this little snippet from BBC is interesting:

The mention of plans for a new Muay Thai camp makes me wonder. What's an ambassador's nterest in this? An urgently needed new channel for money flow, illicit or otherwise?

It's not just the devaluation of the rouble, many are finding that their credit cards aren't working anymore. It's one thing to have to postpone/cancel a trip to Thailand for its warmth, it's another thing for those Russian tourists already in Thailand who may be having trouble with their credit cards.

I think it's a cultivated persona -- the "emo" look -- which apparently has its admirers too. 😲

You're not alone. It's been quite amazing to me (amazing in a good sense) that different people have such widely varying perceptions of desirability. Every somatotype -- from thin to Thor -- has its admirers. I even know quite a few friends who are into chubs. Personally, I like the boy-next-door or fit-athletic type, and even those past 30 and beginning to fill out. And as for size down there, it's never mattered much to me. Below average is fine. It's skill that I am more interested in. For me the key consideration is: Can the service provider provide a good service? More interestingly, I have also observed that not only is the desired type different from one beholder to another, the spread is also dfferent. Some have very narrowly specific tastes, while others (me included) have a wider range of acceptability, and not just in body type either. In terms of age range as well. Observing people and the spectrum of tastes has been one of more intellectual pleasures of my many visits to Thailand.

Ah, that would explain the mystery. Thanks.

Not so. I am not discouraging use of apps. What I said was "I've hardly ever used apps in the Philippines, so I have no experience to share." There's a reason why I haven't used the apps beyond surfing though them. I don't visit Manila for leisure. I visit for business and stay in hotels which will not let me bring guests back. Without a place of my own to host, it's not viable to get dates through apps. The reason why I don't feel any need to visit Manila for leisure should be pretty obvious from my description of the venues! One small factoid: Manila has quite a few "love hotels" where you can rent rooms by the hour. If I really, really wanted a guy off the app or off a macho dancer bar (such an occasion hasn't happened yet) this would be an alternative to the no-joiner-allowed hotels I get stuck in. But none of the straight and probably clueless-in-bed macho dancers have ever made my heart flutter.

Although I've been to Manila few times, I can't much help the OP with his questions. I've found the gay scene quite frustrating. Perhaps that's because I've become so used to Thai business practices. To take the last question first (Where in Manila should I stay?). There will probably be no good solution since the (few) gay places are scattered. With the caveat that I've only been there a few times and even then I found that busnesses open and close quite rapidly, the hotel search should focus on Quezon City's Cubao and Timog areas (they're about 2 km apart and perhaps 30 minutes by Grabcar given the traffic situation day and night). Personally, I end up walking between the two areas. It's faster than by car. There is a third area with macho-dancer bars, and that's way to the south in the Baclaran area and along Roxas Blvd. Allow 90 minutes by car from Quezon. But this area seems to have no massage businesses, and so I don't prefer it. I've hardly ever used apps in the Philippines, so I have no experience to share. The two types of venues which I can describe are: 1. Macho dancer bars. The first thing to do is to jettison everything you know about Thai gogobars. Macho-dancer bars operate on a completely model (and if you think Thai bars can be a rip-off, wait till you see Manila's). Macho-dancer bars tend to have just one guy dancing at any one time, and in a dreadfully boring way too. Between dance numbers, the boys are available to sit with you, but the point of sitting with you is to make you drink up more and buy more. Offing doesn't seem to the business objective. It seems to me that bars don't even allow their hosts to leave early, and there may not be an "off fee" rate. Instead, the objective is/was to entice you to a "private dance" in some rat-hole at the back of the bar, where clothes come off... but what else can you do in 20 - 30 minutes in a large-ish closet with peeling paint and sticky faux-leather soafs? It's been at least ten years since I enquired about the rate for a private dance (duration=3 songs, if I remember correctly) and even then it was a ridiculous price, something like 80 - 100 euros. I have never observed any customer to take a host for a private dance. I've had hosts try to fix up a "date" with me on a different day while sitting with me. They say such and such a day will be their day off and they can go on a date. Then they talk about dining, and shopping... and when I ask what else, they go quiet. The problem seems to be that the guys are mostly straight and homophobia is never far from the surface. They don't have the language or latitude to discuss/negotiate sex sessions with clients. I have yet to successfully take a host from any macho dancer bar because I have never managed to get any meaningful communication on this issue. In other words, I really don't have much information to offer. These macho-dancer bars target women as much as men. In fact, I think they average more women patrons than men, so the bars do not have gay vibes. One more thing, the hosts speak even less English than most Thai gogo boys. 2. Massage There are/were several tiny establishments in the Kamias Road and Kamuning Road areas midway between Timog and Cubao, All are little more than slum shacks. I've come across one that had no running water for days and yet still tried to open for business. Some have airconditioning, others don't. Most are fire traps. The common practice is for the masseurs to line up behind a one-way mirror, and you pick one. Massage skills are almost non-existent. Lacking skills, they progress quickly to play, so getting 60 minutes out of them might be a small miracle. In this, aptitude and skills naturally vary a lot from one guy to another. Tips in the region of 2,000 pesos (about 30 euros) should suffice -- in addition to what the shop charges for "massage". -- There are other places like "O bar" in Ortigas area, "One 690 bar" on Don A Roces Ave, and one more in the Cubao area -- I forget its name -- that really are show bars, again targetting women as much as men. But getting there is time-consuming and in Manila, the shows are very very late.

They are completely off-putting, I agree, but I don't think they're botched circumcision jobs. I've read that that is the traditional way circumcision is done in the Philippines; it's a different procedure from the Judeo-Muslim way. Apparently, a slit is made in the prepuce and the skin is just left to hang loose like flaps or like wattles under a turkey's throat. I've seen a few (thankfully not too many) but they were so disgusting, I never could bring myself to take a closer look (for my education). Apparently, the same method of circumcision is/was common across Polynesia, I read, but whether slit-circumcision is current or has died out, I don't know.

Will the carpet survive the rainy season and the inevitable flood? Is that the right marketing strategy when, ultimately, they're still bordellos? Never underestimate sleaze... More crucially, whatever new marketing strategy these bars are trying to come up with, it must not include straight women or coach tourists. What I think it must include is a good digital advertising budget on various online platforms that serve the gay male market in neighbouring Asian countries. Boyztown cannot depend on the European market too much. A marketing package that includes Sansuk Sauna -- does it still exist, will it reopen? -- tie-ups with beach concessionaires who fly the rainbow flag and maybe some joiner-friendly hotels should be the way to go.

On dear, do we have to change the lyrics of the song?

Here's what the boss of Air Asia, Tony Fernandes, said recently: The above is from the BBC article https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60411616. Further down the same article, I concur with both. Scrap all restrictions. Omicron is no more than flu.

I'm a little gobsmacked how open he is... though at 1 minute 43, he is still a little coy about what customers mostly want when they off a boy. What I am curious about is this: Does anyone recognise the bar he is standing in (at around 1:43)?

Well said. I have had similar thoughts. Unlike luckier members of the forum, I'm not a retiree and do not have the luxury of being able to take 90-day vacations. The longest I can squeeze in may be 2 or 3 weeks and the risk of testing positive and then having to stay a further week or 10 days is precisely the poor risk vs reward equation that has held me back from making any firm plans so far. It's not just the extra days, but also the complication of missing (or having to rearrange) appointments that would have been scheduled for my return....

What if it's a visitor/tourist who is category 1 or category 2A? He has no home in Malaysia. Where does he stay? And what happens if the poor guy is positive only on his last day in malaysia while doing the pre-departure test? Assuming, of course, that even after reopening, these rules do not change.

Thanks, z909, for the clarification. Doesn't Thailand have a nationwide health pass? In many other countries, one has to have a health pass (proving that one has either been vaccinated or recently recovered) to enter restaurants, etc. There's no need to do ART at the door unless one doesn't present a health pass.

Agreed! The rule is far too onerous. Although the article was about the situation in Pattaya, I assume the same rule applies throughout the country. I simply cannot imagine the hundreds of thousands of restaurants and eateries all over Thailand implementing this.

Am I missing something? I thought the Test & Go scheme had already required a PCR test on Day 1 and Day 5 -- we have discussions on other threads about this -- and yet this news article seems to say that it's being newly imposed on such tourists in Phuket. Then this other part is also baffling: Bearing in mind that the sample size is small, two out of 17 Test & Go tourists tested positive -- that's 11.8%. From the Sandbox programme the ratio is 104 out of 2,439 -- that's 4.3%. Both percentages seem rather high considering that both schemes require pre-departure PCR negative tests.